Fork or spoon when brewing tea?
- Thread starter Scrutinize
- Start date
Haha
You're not supposed to squeeze the bag anyway. It releases the tannins or something and that's what makes the tea feel 'dry' in your mouth.
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Loose leaf FTW 
I don't think it makes much difference. If you pour your water in first, you have limited room to add enough milk to the cup, you could accidently pour in too much also, or too little.
Adding the milk first, I then let the bag soak everything up and it will continue to darken until it's just right.
But that way you've already gambled on how much milk you need for the right colour. And you're brewing almost backwards, by defining the amount of time to brew to match the milk. The time you brew the tea should be constant to get the perfect brew, the milk should match that. Not the other way around.
Milk first was an old wives tale to stop people from cracking china with hot water.
Spoon clearly. Fork?! wtf..
If you're going to use a bag use a decent one ffs! I use Yorkshire Gold. Bag in mug, sugar if required. Boil freshly drawn water. Allow boiled water to settle for a minute. Pour in water. Stir immediately, otherwise dodgy scum can form. Stir at regular intervals with a spoon, making sure the tea bag is agitated sufficiently. Once the tea has steeped for the preferred time, remove bag without squeezing and add milk until the required strength is reached. I prefer to use a mug with a white inside so I can judge the colour perfectly. Imbibe.
If I want a decent cup however I brew a cup of my Honey Hon Cha using filtered water. Now that's a cup of tea!
If you're going to use a bag use a decent one ffs! I use Yorkshire Gold. Bag in mug, sugar if required. Boil freshly drawn water. Allow boiled water to settle for a minute. Pour in water. Stir immediately, otherwise dodgy scum can form. Stir at regular intervals with a spoon, making sure the tea bag is agitated sufficiently. Once the tea has steeped for the preferred time, remove bag without squeezing and add milk until the required strength is reached. I prefer to use a mug with a white inside so I can judge the colour perfectly. Imbibe.
If I want a decent cup however I brew a cup of my Honey Hon Cha using filtered water. Now that's a cup of tea!
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How long are we leaving the tea bag in the water for gents?
This.
Water needs to be boiling for decent tea. By adding the milk first, you're reducing the temperature at which it interacts with the leaves.
By this point you're fighting a losing battle, and may as well just use a carving knife to squeeze the bag.
Someone at work made me tea yesterday and put the milk in first.
I was shocked and appalled but being British I was too polite to tell the gentleman and proceeded to drink warm milk with a hint of tea.
And to answer the original questions, SPOON!
I was shocked and appalled but being British I was too polite to tell the gentleman and proceeded to drink warm milk with a hint of tea.
And to answer the original questions, SPOON!
It depends on the leaf, but the ideal temperature is around 80c if I remember correctly.
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Hmmmm.....not looking good for me.
But for those that add the milk first, that's just properly wrong.
But for those that add the milk first, that's just properly wrong.
Fair enough - the only "teas" I drink are Rooibos and peppermint which both should be done boiling
